Star players taking stupid a$$ shots

Does it bother anyone else that at the end of close games star players often take stupid a$$ shots that have no shot of going in? Yeah I know that alot of people believe that the best player should take the last shot, but I cant stand it when they take a dumb, double covered shot that has no chance of going in, instead of passing it to a open man who would have a actual chance to make it. I know that Lebron has often been criticized in the past for making the smart basketball play at the end of games instead of shooting so maybe I am in the minority. What do you guys think?

I absolutely agree, JR Smith's last second shot against the Thunder a couple weeks ago is a prime example of hero ball, and watching these college kids reminds you that making hte right basketball play always pays off. For instance, the only reason Craft took that three was because the ig switched on to him. Had Iowa St not switched, than he probably would've gone to Thomas for the game winner.

But if a player is as good as Lebron, Durant, or Kobe, I think he should just take the best shot he can get, but in general I agree with your point.

The logic is that a contested shot by a player who's willing to take the shot is better than a good shot taken by a player who's not willing to take a pressurized shot.
I don't necessarily agree with it, but I see why it happens. I think its a combination of a number of things: big egos, expectations of star players, lack of creativity among coaches drawing up plays and players who can't execute. Also, lots of isos are called because its a play that, in theory, keeps the help defense away from the ball. If you look at the teams that can execute, like the Spurs or Celtics, they always seem to get good shots in key situations...and they're not always taken by their "stars." Whether the shots go in is a different story though.

I don't watch the Celtics often but it seems like every time they need a big shot it goes to Pierce who takes that exact same turnaround from the elbow that for some reason always gets the defender to bite to the side he would never shoot it.

Yeah, the ISO play looks pretty lame when it results in a very dumb shot at the end. But it has the advantage of not risking a turnover with a pass. The thought that we need a special player who is willing to take the shot though seems silly to me. Maybe in your high school team there were a few guys who were generally scorers but didn't want to shoot the game winning shot. But in the pros every scorer on the court has carried a team and possibly many teams in many games. They've all taken last second shots. If the coach says go get a last second shot all the scorers are ready to do that. It isn't hard to find a "closer". You just have to pick one the guy to be the closer.

Well, Michael Jordan used to do this all the time. Thing is A. He would normally pass if a double came, and B. He was exceptional at the fade away 20 footer. Why teams that don't even have legitimate superstars run isos at the end of games is beyond me

Shots like those are what makes the game exciting. If you have played ball you know why this happens. If you are the star player you want to take the last shot. You want that blame on your shoulders win or loss. And if I'm the coach I want a player who has the confidence to make a shot rather than giving it to a kid whose nerves will just as easily make him airball.

I remember our high school coach telling us if you're double teamed that means one of your teammates is wide open so look for him and give up the ball.

I understand the concept of a star player taking the last shot but I'm an old school guy who believes in team work and hitting the open man. They're all professionals, so if a teammate is wide open, pass the ball and let him take the final shot.

Life, on and off the court, is all about percentages. I prefer a guy who is wide open with the high percentage opportunity over a star taking an off balance shot while double teamed. That's one of the things I love about LeBron, he will find and hit the open man on the last play of the game.